“Ta-daa!” she said, swinging open the door and twirling her arm behind her. “You like?”
“Well, get out of the way so I can come in and have a look.”
I wandered in and plonked down two bottles of wine. One was a Bress Silver Chook Pinot Noir to match the casual dinner of pork we were having. I was about to open the other wine when she dragged me off for the ‘official tour’ of the two-bedroom flat.
As she showed me around I noticed that she had already settled in. Her efficiency is beyond impressive; always has been. I have relied on her lightning-quick box ticking to get my own tasks done: researching a trip for me, checking out flights. She looks at ‘to do’ lists like a sprinter sizing up a racetrack.
“It’s so good you have your own place now,” I said as we looked in doors and peeked in cupboards.
“You’re telling me.”
Just a year ago she was suffering terribly. She asked me, in an unusually formal email, to meet her for regular laps of The Tan walking track to help her through her depression. Walking was one of the few things she could face. When I met her on those hazy afternoons, she was so numb and absent that I often felt more like a chaperone than a companion. Mostly she hid underneath her cap; looking down as I watched the path ahead for both of us.
Not knowing what to do, I took her somewhere that I have sought my own solace. Instead of walking The Tan with the frenzy of lycra-wrapped runners, footy teams in training and girls catching up, we went into the quiet and magnificent Botanic Gardens. There we wove through the lawns to the rose garden: a small patch of grass with several rectangular boxes of roses walled by evergreen trees. Every week until Daylight Savings ended, I walked my friend there to literally stop and smell the roses.
On still nights the perfume hung around the petals like an aromatic fog. Only some of the roses were strong enough to hold the perfume within the frills of their petals. We always shared the roses we smelt, cupping them and saying, “Smell this one”, “Try this one”, “This one is beautiful”.
Eventually it became more winter than autumn, and then it was just plain winter. The petals dropped and Daylight Savings stopped. Ever since then, an invitation to walk The Tan has been a request to “stop and smell the roses”.
So to see my friend a year on in her own flat, happy, having wrestled the demons that ruled her for a while and away from those who made the thousandth cut, really was something.
“OK, that’s all there is to show,” she said. Box ticked. “So, come on. What did you bring to drink?”
I poured us a glass of the second wine I had brought, the Dominique Portet Fontaine Rosé 2010. I held up the lovely pink glass to her. “Stop and smell the rosés?”
Dominique Portet Fontaine Rose 2010 $21
A consistently lovely style of rosé, the 2010 Dominique Portet Fontaine is made from merlot, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz from the Yarra Valley. Keeping a wide berth of any sweet characters that can afflict some rosés, it’s a fresh and lovely drink of savoury and spice aromas and flavours, all offered up in a pale pink package.
http://www.dominiqueportet.com
Bress Silver Chook Pinot Noir 2010 $21
A pinot noir with a little something extra. Winemaker Adam Marks uses whole bunch pressing and leaves the wine unfiltered, producing a more intense, full flavoured pinot with a little more structure than most at this price. Still lots of lovely aromatics, it’s a lot of pinot bang, for your 20 hard earned bucks.
Ah Andrea, many fond memories of lunch-time walks in those magnificent Melbourne BG’s..the pinot also reads well;just back from NZ and brought some hard to get Central Otago pinots with me…might be able to share one with you one day…..Donald in cool climate wine country..
The loveliest post I’ve seen, Lady Frost. The smiles continue.
How refreshing this blog is from the usual wine numbing review sites out there. Great work Frosty …
This is the kind of post you really want to comment on though either don’t feel worthy and or are afraid of not standing up to the eloquent and meaningful words above. So I’ll leave it short.
I love the story within this post (and your others)as it highlights that not only is there one about the wine itself, but the how, why and who we consume it with.
It reminds of some advice I was given by a very wise woman in the industry when I was starting out where she said ‘…wine is either a chat, conversation, lecture or sermon’. Indeed it is.
Keep it up lady … loving it.
I agree Dan. I almost feel the post was too intimate to comment on. It’s as if I’ve walked in the room when a very private secret is being discussed between friends.
Andrea has the ability to tell a story that captures your heart and attention. Its like reading a good book and finishing it in one night because you can’t wait to find out how it ends. I see a best-seller in her future!
And I agree with the wise woman you met. A good wine is often remembered because of the company were with, rather than how fantastic the wine was. What we were doing at the moment it is consumed matters greatly.
Wine is about more than point scores and techniques. It’s a beverage that comforts you in a time of despair, celebrates with you on special occasions and brings you closer to people. It’s helped me share stories from my life with the world that were once uncomfortable secrets. I’ve connected with people in a way I never thought possible. I want to thank every winemaker for their tireless work. All of the best moments in my life revolve around their talent.
Beautiful post really lovely.
friendship and wine intertwined so beautifully , another wonderful post Ms Frost
When I grow up (which is highly unlikely) I hope to be able to capture the essence of the subject as deftly as Frosty does.
Simply beautiful work.
Keep ‘em coming.
Ah my great friend Frost – what a beautiful story, those of us who get to call you ‘friend’ are blessed indeed.
Its all been said above, I love it and can’t wait for the next one.
Ange
That is very evocative writing, a beautiful story. Thank you
Writing about wine – traditionally as nauseating as the words describing fine art and opening paragraphs to rock star interviews. Lovely story – sharing a bit of self, what a refreshing idea. Just look at what it unlocks in your readers…
I like the connection b/w sharing wine and sharing. Also like idea of ‘the wine’ being explored in the broader context of the moments within which it’s enjoyed. Thanks.